title: [Perilymphatic fistula: differential diagnosis from Menière's disease].
abstract: Records of 77 patients who had surgically proven perilymphatic fistula (PLF) from 1979 through 1988 were reviewed. During this period, 16 patients had a fluctuating hearing loss in association with spells of vertigo. Ten of these patients had been diagnosed as having Menière's disease by at least one otolaryngologist before exploration for PLF. Audio-vestibular functions were compared between these PLF patients and those with classic Menière's disease. The following factors are associated with a high incidence of PLF: (1) Low frequencies hearing loss which has father deterioration within few days; (2) A rapidly fluctuating low frequencies hearing loss with wide variability; (3) Very long duration of positional nystagmus; (4) Absence of canal paresis. PLFs often mimicked Menière's disease, although these patients did not have classic Menière's symptoms. This study emphasizes this overlap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukaya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002150:Caloric Tests; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged